Being included in these directories can be as simple as making a submission via the “Suggest URL” form.

The time it takes for your website to be included in the directory will vary – some directories will list your site within a matter
of hours, others, such as DMOZ can take longer. Inclusion is often dictated
by how the web directory is maintained – many of these are maintained by hand, so the time for inclusion can vary (weeks, possibly months).

Note: Directory inclusion time does not directly reflect the quality of the directory i.e. DMOZ is the most popular Internet directory
inclusion time can take months.

The majority of Internet directories that charge for inclusion base this on a 12 month subscription.

Tips for a Web Directory Submission Campaign

As with any other element of search engine optimization, directory submissions should be on going.

When starting out try and dedicate at least half a day a month minimum, to doing directory submission.

By putting in the time, over the space of 4 – 8 weeks you should see a noticeable improvement in the volume of
back links pointing to your website.

Before rolling out your campaign it pays to do some research and preparation:

Write at least 4 – 6 alternate descriptions of your website

Using a spread sheet, compile a list of the directories you wish to submit to

Prepare your keywords, description (both long and short)

Using a version of Firefox or Internet Explorer that supports tabbed browsing can also help speed up the submission process

If possible, create a separate email account for the campaign. You will receive a high volume of emails when doing such submissions,
most of these are confirmation emails however you are also opening yourself up to spam. You need to check these emails and confirm your
submissions, although you don’t want this cluttering your personal inbox every day.

To speed up the process and make life easier, directory submission software is available: